October 17, 2019

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

With Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium rained out last night, there was little post-season news to share. Fortunately there was plenty of other Canadian baseball news to report from yesterday.

- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) and Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) have been named to Baseball America’s 2019 All-Rookie Team. The 20-year-old Guerrero who was called up by the Blue Jays at the end of April proceeded to bat .272 with 15 home runs in 123 major league games. For his efforts, he was named the DH on Baseball America’s All-Rookie Team. Soroka, meanwhile, was named a starting pitcher on the team thanks to his 13-4 record and 2.68 ERA while recording 142 strikeouts in 175 innings in 29 starts with the Atlanta Braves in his first full major league campaign.

- 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) is on veteran Philadelphia sportswriter Jim Salisbury’s list of potential candidates for the Phillies’ vacant managerial position. Thomson, who has served as the Phillies bench coach for the past two seasons, previously coached in the New York Yankees organization for 28 years and earned five World Series rings.

- Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell shared on Twitter yesterday that New Westminster, B.C., native Justin Morneau will not be available to play for the Canadian national team at the WSBC Premier 12 tournament which will begin on November 2 in South Korea. Morneau, who hasn’t played in the majors since 2016, was a surprise name on the Canadian roster when it was released on October 8.

- 27 years ago, the Toronto Blue Jays played their first ever World Series game. Their potent lineup was stifled by Atlanta Braves left-hander and future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine who tossed a complete game four-hitter in a 3-1 win at Fulton County Stadium. Joe Carter’s fourth-inning home run accounted for the only Blue Jays’ run.

- Happy 54th Birthday to former Montreal Expos and Ottawa Lynx player and current Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo! He had two hits in his only five major league at bats with the Expos in 1993 to retire with a .400 batting average. That same year with the triple-A Ottawa Lynx he had 71 walks in 99 games to post a .411 on-base percentage.